INDIA
It may be recalled that normal operations of trains were halted in March after the first lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When will local train services for the general public resume? As the government is gradually opening more services under 'Unlock' phases, people are curious to know about when will they be able to board a local.
It may be recalled that normal operations of trains were halted in March after the first lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were resumed sometime back but only a limited number of trains took to the tracks since the services were resumed.
Railway officials have hinted at resuming local train services for West Bengal this month with 50% passenger strength.
Only certain categories of people have been allowed to avail local trains in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu so far. However, both states are likely to resume normal services in November following the Centre's nod.
West Bengal
The West Bengal government and senior officials from both the Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER) on Monday held a high-level meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna to decide on the resumption of metropolitan and suburban train services.
After a meeting with the chief secretary and other top government officials, railway authorities expressed keenness to resume local train services in West Bengal allowing 50% of passenger strength and ensuring that COVID-19 safety protocols are followed strictly.
Initially, the Railways are planning to resume the operations with 10-20% of the normal services which will be slowly increased to 25%.
Planning on ticketing, route selection and the number of trains to be operated are being made and the final decision on resumption of the services will be taken at a meeting on November 5, said Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
"We will have to keep the Covid-19 health protocols in mind while resuming the local train services. We will jointly decide the modalities on Thursday at around 4.30 pm," Bandopadhyay said, adding that full planning would be done by the railway officials in a day or two and the final call would be taken in the next meeting.
Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government on October 28 had proposed Railways to reopen the services of Mumbai local trains for the general public.
The proposal includes the option of opening the services in a staggered manner and three slots - 4.30 am to 7.30 am, 11 am to 4 pm and 8 pm till the last local- have been suggested.
It has also proposed two slots for people related to providing essential services- 8 am to 10.30 am and 5 pm to 7.30 pm.
The timings suggest that the government has reserved the peak hour time slots for persons employed in providing essential services, while the local train facilities can be availed by the general public during non-peak hours.
The local trains, considered, as the lifeline of Mumbai, were resumed for the emergency and essential services staff in June this year.
Currently, the special suburban services are not available for the general public, though women are permitted to travel in the local trains during non-peak hours.
To cater to the increasing crowd in suburban trains, the Central Railway has now added 552 more services on its routes, while the Western Railway has added 201 services, as per a joint press release issued by the CR and WR on Sunday.
"The Railways is hoping that the state government will revert soon deciding the modalities for providing services to commuters in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region," it said.
Earlier, the CR and WR resumed the suburban services for emergency and essential services staff from June 15, and gradually allowed passengers from some other categories, like lawyers and staff of foreign consulates, to also travel in local trains.
Tamil Nadu
Railways is geared to begin suburban services and discussions are underway with the West Bengal and the Tamil Nadu state governments in finalising modalities for the resumption of their suburban services.
Meet Sanjay Verma, the new DGP of Maharashtra who replaced Rashmi Shukla
Anushka Sharma shares FIRST photo of Akaay, Vamika to celebrate Virat Kohli’s birthday
CAT 2024 admit card to be out today at iimcat.ac.in; know release time, steps to download
Vikas Divyakirti UPSC Tips: Check strategy to crack IAS exam, aspirants should study for...
Video of Pakistani man putting hand into chained tiger's mouth goes viral, social media reacts
Shalini Passi reveals her husband's connection to Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri Khan, they were..
SC upholds validity of UP madrassa law, says it does not violate principle of secularism
US Presidential Elections 2024: What time do the polls close; when will the results be known?
Elon Musk shares controversial post on X amid US election results, video goes viral
Mukesh Ambani's company earned Rs 15393 crore last week, his net worth now stands at...
Chhath Puja 2024: Know about Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, Usha Arghya, date, timings and puja vidhi
Virat Kohli Birthday: Legendary batter turns 36, here's a look at his incredible milestones
When Ratan Tata met his first true love after 50 years, went for dinner together, know who she was
Samantha Ruth Prabhu hits back at trolls who body-shamed her: 'If you guys...'
Two fall prey to Narayana Murthy and Mukesh Ambani's deepfake videos, lose Rs 80 lakh: Report
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
Meet son-in-law of billionaire whose net worth is Rs 38690 crore, he co-founded...
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?
Shah Rukh Khan feels breathless after quitting smoking: Know withdrawal symptoms, how to manage them
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal takes action on vendor for mislabelling mushrooms at Hyperpure warehouse
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance shares fell by 3%, loses Rs 50205 crore in one day due to...
IAF's MiG-29 crashes near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, pilot ejects safely, court of inquiry ordered
Driving Growth and Monetization at Zendesk: A Conversation with Darshit Thakkar
Can air pollution make you fat? Know how high AQI impact your health
Locanto Addresses Challenges and Innovations in Indian Education System
Nita Ambani stuns in floral co-ord set while Anant, Mukesh Ambani go casual in Dubai
Indian Railway to launch this 'SUPER APP', passengers can now..., know details here
Who is Rashmi Shukla, IPS officer whom EC removed as Maharashtra DGP?
This village in India allows men to have two wives, living under one roof due to…
AUS vs PAK, 1st ODI: Australia beat Pakistan by 2 wickets to take 1-0 lead in series
Singham Again’s sole aim is to entertain, it’s not Hindutva propaganda
Delhi pollution: 'Why firecracker ban was not implemented during Diwali,' SC asks police, govt
IPL 2025 mega auction likely to be held in Riyadh on these dates
Big update on Reliance Jio IPO as Mukesh Ambani eyes THIS date
EC reschedules UP, Punjab, Kerala bypolls from Nov 13 to...
Coldplay's Chris Martin falls through stage trap door while performing live in Australia
Meet man, who is rising star in Tata Group after Ratan Tata's death, now tasked with...
'Nice handwriting': Internet reacts to Elon Musk's physics homework from his college days